Not much information really, but it certainly sounds like next year is going to be the last year for FunPub. The general fandom reaction seems to be barely-restrained glee, what with how badly they've mishandled the license and convention since...well, pretty much since they started.

Putting aside everything else -- low run remoulds and repaints can't compete with new moulds at similar price points from other companies, and apart from Octopunch the only one I picked up in quite a busy period of collecting was the concept pretender.

Putting aside everything else -- low run remoulds and repaints can't compete with new moulds at similar price points from other companies, and apart from Octopunch the only one I picked up in quite a busy period of collecting was the concept pretender.

FunPub's business model is rather blown out of the water by third-party stuff, isn't it? I mean, when they're trying to flog a barely-remolded Combiner Wars limb as Impactor for $80 at the same time that there's an accurate, well-designed actual Impactor available, they've got a big problem. Back in the 90s or 2000s when there was no other option for "premium" spending this sort of thing worked, but I think it's pretty safe to say that the marketplace has moved on.

Pfff, you're just mad that Battletrap's as good a use of the Springer mould as Sandstorm.

Won't be missed by the bulk of fandom. Do wonder what's replacing it; some fully Hasbro-ran official convention (bring things in house seems very much the way forward... I do think when IDW drop or lose the licence whenever that won't be out for pimping again)? Or are they satisfied with the exposure from multi-brand Comicons and the like?

FunPub's business model is rather blown out of the water by third-party stuff, isn't it?

Yes, but I never bought any Fun Publications stuff because they were usually overpriced crap, going all the way back to before third party figures were a thing.

The real concern here is how will that guy from shortpacked get his fanwanky schlock into an official channel now? And what will become of the wiki without new adventures in the wings and shattered glass universes to add to vintage character pages?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

Or are they satisfied with the exposure from multi-brand Comicons and the like?

I do recall that, for the past few years at least, we get most of the big reveals for the year at either the New York Toy Fair at the end of January or the San Diego Comic Con at the end of July, with little if anything shown at the "official convention" proper.

Mmmm... my recall from highly limited interaction with any aspect of fandom outside of here is that the past couple of years have been "Wow! If they're revealing THIS at such and such, what are they gonna wheel out at BotCon?!?", followed by a tumbleweed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clay

Yes, but I never bought any Fun Publications stuff because they were usually overpriced crap, going all the way back to before third party figures were a thing.

Mmm, got to say for me the Convention toys have largely always been the crap 3P/unconvincing Generations repaints of their day. Of the top of my head only the Classic Seekers (a colossal misreading of the market by Hasbro, who learnt quickly) were ones I'd have been interested in at retail, let alone their prices. Oh, and the Punch was alright.

3P's probably been the killer blow but Claverations has probably played its' part - now the only way to get a modern, posable Ratchet or Springer isn't to pay over the odds for some terrible Energon redeco.

TBH Botcon always seemed to be a bit of a clique thing with most of the hype coming from it being the annual highlight for a certain section of the American fandom's old guard... few non-attendees seem to take the fiction or the figures particularly seriously.

I actually joined this year, solely because I'm crazy about Combiner Wars and so need me a Thunder Mayhem and a Predacus (although these are the only ones that have ever made me sit up and take notice, to be fair). I've actually been quite happy with the two issues of the magazine they sent me: one had a lovely piece by Jim Sorenson in it and the other had an interview with the guy who designed the combiner wars figures (although the comic strips were terrible, though). I also got a friendly and quick reply from Brian Savage when I emailed the club with a question. So, speaking purely from my admittedly limited contact with the Club, I personally have had nothing but good experiences.

That said, I can totally see why a lot of people would be cheesed off: the credit card shambles (which they didn't admit to for a while, IIRC), the 'head no fitty right' Asian impression, overcharging on postage, misassembled figures and the whole 'no selling 3P figures in your own personal hotel rooms' edict. So yeah, can totally see where the glee is coming from.

I dunno, I just look at some of the exclusives, like classic Red Tracks, Battlechargers, Battletrap, G2 Ramjet and so on, and I think, well, in amongst the repaint misfires there have been a few gems along the way, which we wouldn't have had otherwise.

So a 'mixed feelings' kinda reaction from me, albeit, as I say, with the caveat that I only joined the club when the latest Subscription Service was announced.

I do like the Mayhem toys, but Spinister or not a Combiner Wars figure isn't worth four times retail or whatever silly markup the club is going to charge. If their price structure was more reasonable and they didn't force you to buy a club membership just to have access to the stuff, they probably would have sold a lot more figures. I mean, Mattel's club-store exclusive DC figures could be had for between 25% and 50% above the cost of a retail figure back when that was still a thing. FunPub's 300%-400% markup is just ridiculous considering they're only flogging redecos with new heads.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

Pfff, you're just mad that Battletrap's as good a use of the Springer mould as Sandstorm.

Oh, hush.

Battletrap actually could have been cool if they'd given him a decent deco, but anything more than "exactly like G1!" seemed to be beyond them. I'm honestly surprised we never got Blitzwing as Flywheels from them, though. That would have been a lot harder to screw up, even if the mold in question is no good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

Won't be missed by the bulk of fandom. Do wonder what's replacing it; some fully Hasbro-ran official convention (bring things in house seems very much the way forward... I do think when IDW drop or lose the licence whenever that won't be out for pimping again)? Or are they satisfied with the exposure from multi-brand Comicons and the like?

I've heard rumours of Hasbro taking it in-house, though I'm not sure there's really much point. SDCC and NY Toy Fair seem to have taken over the "new toy reveals" role, and honestly I think TFCon has already surpassed BotCon in terms of a fandom event due to the heavy third-party presence. It'd be really hard for a new official convention to catch up to them without the decades worth of momentum that BotCon had behind it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clay

The real concern here is how will that guy from shortpacked get his fanwanky schlock into an official channel now? And what will become of the wiki without new adventures in the wings and shattered glass universes to add to vintage character pages?

But yeah, the Wiki crew will probably miss FunPub more than anyone else. Not only did it provide them with tons of obscure stuff to add to articles, but I'm pretty sure Walky wasn't the only one in their clique getting a paycheque from it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cliffjumper

Mmm, got to say for me the Convention toys have largely always been the crap 3P/unconvincing Generations repaints of their day. Of the top of my head only the Classic Seekers (a colossal misreading of the market by Hasbro, who learnt quickly) were ones I'd have been interested in at retail, let alone their prices. Oh, and the Punch was alright.

I thought the early, BW-based stuff was pretty cool, but that might just be my personal bias talking. Certainly, I like it more than the of direct G1 homages and/or Evil Alternate Universe silliness that dominated the last decade-plus.

I thought the early, BW-based stuff was pretty cool, but that might just be my personal bias talking. Certainly, I like it more than the of direct G1 homages and/or Evil Alternate Universe silliness that dominated the last decade-plus.

Were those done by Fun Publications, though? I thought this company was only running Botcon from 2005 to now.

I'd have had more time for the "own creation" stuff if every single one of them hadn't been a badass Mary Sue.

Oh, the characters are horrible, for sure. But if you ignore the fiction you can at least appreciate a few of the toys for what they are -- cool repaints, albeit woefully overpriced ones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clay

Were those done by Fun Publications, though? I thought this company was only running Botcon from 2005 to now.

Fair point, most of the stuff that I remember fondly was 3H rather than FunPub. They did do the set with Deathsaurus, that Cyberjet and the pile of Buzzclaw repaints, though, so they've at least got that going for them.

The Botcon and Fanclub outputs have been generally poor (and weird), but as others have said it would be unfair to forget some of their high points. For me there are several (G2 Clench [own], RID Scourge [own], Prime Barricade, Prime Rampage, Deathsaurus, Alpha Trion, Doublepunch...). It's always the price matched with quality that's an issue, especially with Masterpiece and 3P really upping their output. I mean, would you really pay out equivalent values for a TFCC/Botcon mainstream remould over a bespoke detailed high end 3P product?

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